I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

After receiving the dreadful news of attracting the attention of his superiors, Daniel resolved that this was the perfect opportunity to visit a dessert shop for some healing.

‘Tending to one’s mental health amidst a busy and demanding work life is desirable.’

Thus, immediately after clocking out, Daniel took a shortcut to reach the newly opened establishment on the outskirts of the capital – the Golden Rose Patisserie.

The wafting aromas of pastries and bread already permeating the air suggested a high probability of it being a proper dessert shop.

This left Daniel quite satisfied.

Had it not been for the presence of a certain strange woman, he might have even hummed a merry tune.

“This is the place you mentioned, Captain.”

As Lucie remarked, glancing up at the patisserie’s signboard, Daniel let out a discreet sigh.

‘…Why did she tag along?’

Recounting the sequence of events, as they were leaving the General Staff Headquarters after clocking out, Lucie had addressed him, prompting Daniel to respond officially.

During their exchange, the subject of the dessert shop had come up, and Daniel, merely out of politeness, had casually extended an invitation for Lucie to join if she wished.

Naturally, he had expected her to decline, but instead, Lucie had accepted, unwilling to refuse the courtesy offered by her superior.

From Daniel’s perspective, this was highly inconvenient.

‘Is she trying to keep an eye on me?’

While Lucie’s intentions were transparent, Daniel didn’t let it show, simply nodding his head.

“Let’s go in, then.”

As Daniel stepped forward, opening the patisserie’s door and entering, Lucie followed closely behind.

Upon their entrance, the staff member seated at the counter immediately stood up with a smile.

“Welcome! This is the Golden Rose Patisserie, here to bring you happiness! How many in your party…”

The staff member trailed off, closing their mouth.

Not only had two military officers in uniform entered, but they were also regarding the staff member with piercing gazes, exuding an overwhelming sense of intimidation.

In reality, both Daniel and Lucie were expressionless, but the staff member was oblivious to this fact.

‘Scary…!’

Inwardly screaming, the staff member struggled to regain their composure and offered an awkward smile.

“Just the two of you, then. Do you have any menu items in mind?”
“Ah, yes.”

Removing his peaked cap and tucking it under his arm, Daniel wore a faint smile as he spoke.

“I’ve heard this place is renowned for its ‘Dream Parfait’ dessert. Despite having just opened, the number of patrons visiting suggests it must be delicious. We’ll have two, please.”
“Ah…”

While their impassive demeanors had been intimidating, Daniel’s gentle smile and soft-spoken words exuded an unexpected charm.

An unexpected side, one might say. After a momentary daze, the staff member nodded.

“R, right away! Please have a seat by the window if you don’t mind!”

With a slight nod, Daniel made his way to an available window-side table and took a seat.

Lucie, too, sat across from Daniel, placing her document bag on the empty chair beside her.

As she did so, she observed Daniel intently.

He seemed accustomed to dessert shops, languidly surveying his surroundings.

‘…So his claim of heading to a dessert shop yesterday wasn’t a lie?’

If it had been a lie, then Daniel must have recognized her identity from the start and been tracking her.

In that case, he might have fabricated the ‘dessert shop’ hobby as a cover.

However, his demeanor appeared too natural, as if he had frequented similar establishments numerous times before.

‘Could it really have been a coincidental encounter?’

As Lucie pondered various theories, she inadvertently made eye contact with Daniel.

“…Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

Oops. She had become so absorbed in her thoughts that she had failed to avert her gaze properly.

Clearing her throat, Lucie parted her lips to offer an excuse when:

“Here are the two Dream Parfaits you ordered!”

With a melodious voice, the staff member approached, placing two parfaits before Daniel and Lucie.

“May you have a delightful day!”

With those words and a slight bow, the staff member returned to the counter.

As Daniel naturally reached for his spoon to dig into the parfait, he paused.

Lucie was outright glaring at the parfait placed before her.

“…”

It was understandable, as Lucie was seeing this dessert called a ‘parfait’ for the first time in her life.

From birth until now, Lucie had only ever eaten military rations and meals from research facilities.

In fact, when she had first been assigned as Daniel’s aide, she had inwardly marveled at the taste of a freshly baked croissant.

If a croissant had elicited such a reaction, then this elaborate dessert was bound to be unfamiliar to Lucie.

The tall glass contained a layered combination of ice cream, pastries, fruits, cream, and chocolate syrup, creating an almost majestic appearance.

‘…How do you even eat this?’

As Lucie silently deliberated in her expressionless state, Daniel let out a chuckle.

He seemed to have grasped the situation.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

Uttering those words as if speaking to himself, Daniel plunged his spoon into the ice cream within the parfait.

Slowly lifting the spoon, he ensured it carried a halved strawberry and some cream along with the ice cream, then took a bite.

The soft, sweet, and refreshing flavors exploded in his mouth in a delightful medley.

Wearing a satisfied smile, Daniel placed the spoon down, prompting Lucie to mimic his actions.

Of course, she didn’t have high expectations.

After all, how could a dessert from the Empire be delicious?

However, the moment she put the ice cream-laden spoon into her mouth,

Lucie’s eyes widened.

“Mmph…!”

Letting out a peculiar groan, Lucie set her spoon down and blinked dazedly.

The amalgamation of sweet flavors in her mouth was akin to a heavenly taste.

Incomparable to the military rations she was accustomed to.

It was only natural, really. Military food tended to prioritize nutrition over flavor.

Having consumed only military rations, experiencing a dessert that went all-in on ‘taste’ was bound to be a shock.

Lucie’s reaction was quite gratifying for Daniel.

‘Yesterday you dismissed it as junk food. Had you never tried it before?’

Letting out a soft chuckle, Daniel spoke with a triumphant air.

“How is it? Does the dessert suit your palate?”

At Daniel’s words, Lucie regained her senses, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Belatedly realizing she had failed to maintain her composure over a mere dessert, a sense of embarrassment washed over her.

The fact that she had been defeated by an Empire dessert, of all things, added to her humiliation.

With a faint blush, Lucie mumbled:

“…It’s edible.”

The slight tremor in her voice betrayed her current state of mind.

“It’s a relief it’s edible, then.”

With those words, Daniel retrieved a pastry stuck into the parfait and took a bite.

The crisp texture was exquisite.

As Daniel savored the parfait’s flavors, he gazed out the window, lost in contemplation for a moment.

‘While my aide is a spy, and recent events haven’t been going my way…’

Perhaps he should be grateful for the opportunity to serve in this peaceful rear area, away from the frontlines.

Intense battles were undoubtedly raging at the frontlines.

‘They could only dream of having parfaits on the frontlines.’

For Daniel, remaining in the rear area appealed to him.

He had no desire to risk his life on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, at the General Staff Headquarters.
In the Chief of Operational Planning’s office.

Rustle.

Surrounded by various classified documents, Major General Cedric Vendel calmly turned the pages of a newspaper.

His piercing eyes rapidly scanned the articles.

Within thirty seconds, having finished reading, Cedric set the newspaper down.

‘Dismantled a mafia organization single-handedly…’

The article he had just read described Daniel’s supposed decimation of a mafia organization.

‘Why?’

Cedric found the reasoning puzzling.

Captain Daniel Steiner had already accumulated numerous merits, earning him a place on the list for early promotion.

If he remained incident-free for the next two years, he would undoubtedly be promoted to Major without issue.

Surely, Daniel was aware of this himself.

And yet, he had sought out additional achievements, going so far as to dismantle a mafia organization.

Moreover, he had done so alone during his off-hours.

After a slow blink, Cedric fully comprehended Daniel’s mindset.

‘…He can’t wait two years.’

On today’s battlefields, existing information becomes obsolete within a year.

From Daniel’s perspective, brimming with a desire to contribute to the Empire, the wait must have felt unbearable.

No matter how much of a hero Daniel was within the capital, as a mere Captain, his ability to exert influence on the military was minimal.

Hence, Daniel’s dismantling of the mafia organization was a form of protest to his superiors.

‘I understand. He wants to be sent to the frontlines instead of stagnating at the General Staff Headquarters.’

Daniel was likely aiming to accumulate frontline experience… in other words, achievements, to facilitate his accelerated promotion to Major.

Upon reaching the field-grade officer ranks, one’s authority increases exponentially compared to commissioned officers.

Daniel undoubtedly desired to possess that authority and contribute directly on the Empire’s frontlines.

‘A courageous young man. Like a brightly burning flame.’

With the succession crisis and the Allied forces’ offensive causing internal and external turmoil for the nation, talents like Daniel Steiner were invaluable.

‘How fortunate. I was just considering sending operational support to the northern front.’

If a capable young man sought accelerated promotion, it was only fitting to provide him the opportunity.

For it would ultimately benefit the Empire.

‘Very well, Captain Daniel Steiner. I shall place my trust in you…’

Let’s see how you fare on the battlefield.